“It just got really bad. I honestly don’t really remember that much, but looking back, it’s like ‘man I was sick’… and I can’t say it [competing at the 2016 CrossFit Games] was the healthiest thing to do, but it… CrossFit is what got me through this disease and this transplant, and I couldn’t live without it. So, I just did what I could, of course lighter weights because I weighed 115 pounds. So, lighter weight, I did what I could, and it was definitely hard. There was a lot of crying, a lot of emotions just because I was so used to lifting these weights and going this fast but I couldn’t do that anymore. So that’s when I realized somethings wrong. It’s progressing fast. And it’s a slow disease, but in that last year, it was fast.” – Sydney Sullivan

At the 2015 CrossFit Games, Sydney Sullivan dominated the competition, winning 1st place in 5 out of 6 events in the Girls 14-15 Division, and was crowned the Fittest Teen on Earth. She was also struggling with a serious chronic disease: Type 2 juvenile autoimmune hepatitis.

Diagnosed at age 12, Sydney managed her condition through a combination of healthy diet, CrossFit, and medical care. However, as the 2016 CrossFit Games drew closer, Sydney began losing weight and feeling fatigued as the symptoms of her illness worsened. That year, she would finish a highly respectable 6th place, but Sydney could feel her health declining.

Caught in a catch-22 situation, her health markers were still far “too healthy” to be considered for a traditional deceased-donor liver transplant. At the suggestion of her doctor, her family began the process of finding a donor and a facility for a live-donor transplant. Ultimately, her brother, Tommy, was able to give 60% of his liver to Sydney, and together the two embarked on a slow path to recovery. Today, they work together at his affiliate, Koda Crossfit Tulsa where Sydney is a coach.

I caught up with Sydney at the 2018 CrossFit Games to hear how she managed a chronic illness while being among the world’s fittest and the lessons she learned through her experience that she hopes to share with others.

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Disclaimer: This podcast is meant to share the experiences of various individuals. It does not provide medical advice, and it is not a substitute for advice from your physician or health care professional.